Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has vowed that terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements will find no safe haven anywhere in the state, as his administration moves to reclaim forests being used as hideouts by armed groups.
The governor stated this on Sunday during a visit to the training camp of newly recruited Forest Guard trainees in Lokoja, the state capital.
Ododo said his administration would deploy all lawful resources to guarantee the safety of residents, visitors and communities, stressing that vast and largely unguarded forest areas in parts of the state had become a major security challenge, providing cover for criminals and enabling attacks on innocent citizens.
He said the recruitment and training of Forest Guards was central to the state’s security strategy, aimed at boosting surveillance, denying criminals access to safe havens, and improving the response capacity of security agencies.
Ododo urged the trainees to embrace discipline, patriotism and commitment to service, noting that their assignment was sensitive as it involved protecting lives, property and communities.
The governor disclosed that the Forest Guard Programme was approved by President Bola Tinubu and is being implemented through the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies. He commended Tinubu, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi for their roles in driving the initiative, noting that the DSS was overseeing the profiling and training of recruits to ensure professionalism and accountability.
Ododo said his administration would keep expanding security manpower but would only trust persons of proven character and integrity with such responsibilities, adding that the government would not compromise on personnel quality.
The visit came a day after Ododo inspected the first batch of Armoured Personnel Carriers procured by the state to boost the operational readiness of security agencies.
He assured residents that efforts to secure the state would be sustained until all parts of Kogi were safe, and pledged continued collaboration with federal security agencies, local stakeholders and communities.
President Tinubu had on May 15 approved the nationwide Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to secure the country’s 1,129 designated forests, targeting terrorists, bandits and criminal gangs in a joint federal-state security effort.
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